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This three bean chili is full of plant based nutrition your body needs to thrive. It’s extremely versatile and you can use whatever veggies and/or beans you have on hand. The skillet corn cakes this chili sits atop are absolutely delicious, but not at all necessary in order to enjoy this colorful creation. If you’re short on time, serve it a la carte, or with some bread or tortilla chips. The recipe looks like it contains a lot of ingredients, but really it’s two full recipes, so read carefully. It also makes a wonderful amount of food, so you can save extra in the freezer for those days you just can’t cook. As always, 100% vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free.
Three Bean Chili over Crispy Corn Cakes
Ingredients
The Chili:
- 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup of celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 cup of sweet potato, cubed
- 1 cup of corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 28 ounces of chopped tomatoes (or 3-4 cups fresh tomatoes)
- 1-2 Tablespoons of chili powder (+ a pinch of cayenne, if you like it extra spicy)
- 1 teaspoon of salt, or smoked salt (to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup, or sugar (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 Tablespoon of paprika
Crispy Corn Cakes:
- 1 cup of corn meal
- 1 cup of all purpose flour (gluten-free is fine)
- 1/2 cup of coarse cornmeal (polenta)
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water
Instructions
- Start the chili in a large pot or deep skillet. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil to medium-low heat, add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot and saute for 4-5 minutes until lightly browning. Add the sweet potato, corn, kidney, black beans, and chickpeas. Stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add all spices, maple syrup, salt, and tomatoes. Add a bit of water if necessary, to bring to nice chili consistency. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook, covered and undisturbed, for 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- If making the crispy corn cakes, in a medium bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, corn meal though baking powder. Add wet ingredients, maple syrup through water. Stir well and heat non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter onto pan, tilting pan to spread into a circle. When browning on bottom and bubbling on top, flip over and cook 30-45 more seconds. Repeat.
- Keep them warm on a plate in the oven if needed. Serve a ladle of chili atop corn cakes when done. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro if you have it and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I didn’t have polenta so I modified the corn cakes and they did not come out quite right, more like fluffy pancakes but still good! The chilli was really flavorful and yummy despite being so simple! My hubby said it was the best vegan chilli yet. I agree. Fun change from Texas chilli and cornbread. Will make again
So glad you guys enjoyed it overall! It’s a yummy one!